There are some plants that seem to follow us through life, and for me, Rosemary is one of them.
I have grown Rosemary in the garden at almost every place I’ve lived over the years, so I can’t tell you how happy I was to discover quite a number of established plants already growing here when we arrived.
I’ve always loved Rosemary for its fragrance, flavour and the many ways it can be used, but there is another reason I look forward to its flowering each year.
The bees.
In my previous gardens, Rosemary was often one of the first plants along with Lavender where I would notice the bees becoming more active as Winter began giving way to Spring.
And here, it has happened again.
Just a Few Steps from the Back Door
The Rosemary growing here is flowering more magnificently than any I’ve grown before. There appear to be a couple of different varieties, and right now they’re covered in flowers.
Even better, several plants grow right against the house and around the back deck.
For those who know me, you’ll know how much I love photographing bees amongst the flowers — so lately I’ve only had to wander a few steps from the back door with my camera.
The bees have certainly found the Rosemary.
And I’ve been happily snapping away as they work their way along each of the blooming stems.
Who Else Will We Meet?
One of the things I’m curious about as the weather warms is discovering more of the insects that live here.
I haven’t yet spotted any of the native bees I became familiar with at our previous home, particularly the beautiful Blue-banded Bees that were always a favourite of mine.
But this is only our first Spring.
Already the butterflies are beginning to appear — including my first Monarch sighting — and I suspect there are many more bees, butterflies and other little garden visitors still waiting to make themselves known as the days grow warmer.
For now, though, it is the Rosemary that is bringing the bees close.
A familiar plant in an unfamiliar garden, doing something I’ve watched it do many Springs before.
Flowering, feeding the bees and quietly letting me know that the season is changing.